War In Our Hearts
by USMC Girl
Summary: Emma gets transferred to Task Force 141 with her friend Ashton Shepherd (General Shepherd's daughter) to help find Makorav and stop the war. But what happens when she falls in love with her captain? Ghost lives through the mission Loose Ends. SoapXOC, GhostXOC
1. Chapter 1

I took a deep breath as I aimed at the man-shaped target. Gun powder hung in the air as the echo of my shots rang through the long room. My eight years in the Marines gave me great aim and training, but shooting was a great way for me to pass time. And let's be honest, I was a little out of practice. After my two terms in the Corps, I was assigned a spot in the C.I.A. I have been sent out on undercover missions a lot, but after the recent shooting in the Russian airport, the missions have stopped. I felt stir crazy, not being able to fight. I hated being useless.

As I reloaded my pistol, I began thinking about everything leading up to where I was now. How my friend Ashton Shepherd went intothe army right out of high school, and I to the Marines. We swore to always keep in touch, but now the letters have stopped coming and I feared the worst. Her father, General Shepherd, wasn't the kind of man that would be willing to let me know if something had happened to his daughter. We weren't on the best of terms and the thought of that man made me sick. I aimed again and shotmy last few rounds, and with my lack of concentration, I managed to miss my target on a couple of shots. I cursed myself for letting my mind wonder during training.

I glanced up at the clock and saw that I was going to miss lunch if I didn't leave soon. I sighed in defeat and set the gun on the table behind me and made my way to the door. As I walked out of the shooting range, a man bumped into me, nearly knocking me to the ground.

"Sorry." I said as I tried to side step him.

"Are you Special Agent Miller?" he asked as he grabbed my arm.

"Yes, why?" I asked as I glared and pulled my arm away from his tight grip.

"General Shepherd sent me to tell you to go meet with him. He wants to see you in the debriefing room a.s.a.p." the man said as he turned away. I felt as if someone doused me with ice water. I've talked to General Shepherd before, and I wasn't looking forward to another encounter. Of course he never really liked me, or his own daughter for that matter, so if he wanted to see me, it had to be important.

I changed direction and made my way to the briefing room. When I got there, General Shepherd was sitting at the long table, smoking a cigar with files in front of him. The sight of him filled me with dread. I knocked and he looked up.

"Special Agent Miller, come in. We have things to discuss and I want to get this shit over with. Shut the door." I did as I was told and stood in front of him on the other side of the table.

"Fuck formalities, I'm going to get straight to the point. I'm in need of extra hands, Miller. The Russians are pissed off over the shooting in the airport and they want blood. Now, I only settle for the best. I expect nothing but perfection. I've looked at your file and you seem to actually meet my standards. You were a combat engineer in the Marine Corps, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"That's good, I need that. As I said, I demand nothing but perfection. I have a task force that needs somebody with the skills that you can provide, are you willing to do this? It won't be easy."

"I'm ready. sir."

"Good to hear, Miller. Now, I'm sending you with a new agent who I believe could do some good as a medic. Her name is Ashton Shepherd. I'm sure you remember her, Miller. I've sent-"

"Ashton is coming?" I blurted out without thinking. A jolt of excitement ran through me.

Shepherd glared. "Did I stutter, Miller?"

"No, sir." I said as I clenched my teeth and cursed myself for making such a petty mistake.

"Good. I'd hate to repeat myself. Now, as I was saying, I've sent your files to Captain Mactavish and he liked what he saw, so you are officially being reassigned to Task Force 141. Your plane leaves in 0600 hours, understood?"

"Yes. sir."

"Good. You're dismissed."

* * *

I hoped you guys liked it! Reviews are encouraged and I am continuing my Naruto fic, I just have had a lot on my plate. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Packing didn't take long. I had a few pictures and my closet wasn't much of anything. I grabbed my camo fatigues and some casual clothes I had for my days off. I sighed as I folded my clothes and glanced at the pictures on my nightstand. There was one of my brother Mark with his wife, Katie, and their now three year old son, Gage, on the night he was born, there was another with my parents, Mark and I on the day I graduated Parris Island. The other few were just random pictures of my family they sent me since I've been gone. A pang of loneliness shot through me as I thought of my family. I missed them. I took a deep breath and finished getting everything ready. I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me.

Glancing at my watch, I realized I only had fifteen minutes left to meet General Shepherd and Ashton. Something didn't feel right about this. I've been out of the Marines for awhile and all of a sudden General Shepherd needs me to join his task force. And the last time I checked, he wasn't fond of me or Ashton. So why go through all the trouble of sending us to Task Force 141? From what I've heard, this wasn't some group of men that General Shepherd threw together for the hell of it. These guys were well-trained soldiers, the best out there. General Shepherd wasn't exaggerating when he told me he wanted perfection. This team worked with precision. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

I walked out of my room, bag in hand. I made my way outside to meet them by the plane. I had my long, black hair in a tight bun. I wore black dress pants with a silver blouse that made my grey eyes appear lighter and a pair of flats. They're easier to walk in and I hated heels. Of course, I looked more like an agent than a soldier but I wasn't exactly sure what to wear in this situation. When I got there, Ashton was standing with a man I assumed to be the pilot. Her dirty blond hair was up like mine and she wore something similar so I felt more at ease. Ashton noticed me and smiled.

"Emma, its been too long." she said.

"Long time, no see." I replied with a laugh.

"This our pilot, Nikolai." she gestured toward the man.

"Hello Special Agent Miller. It is a pleasure to meet you." he said with a Russian accent.

"Hi, and just call me Emma. I'm not one for formalities." I replied with a smile.

"Very well."

Then General Shepherd walked up to us.

"Alright, it's time for you to leave. Nikolai, give these files to Captain Mactavish." he handed the files to the Russian pilot and turned to us. "He will give you orders when you get there. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." we said.

"Good. Wrap it up and head out." General Shepherd turned and left. We boarded the plane and took off.

"Nervous?" Ashton asked. I looked at her and noticed her green eyes were filled with fear.

"Kinda." I said truthfully. "I've heard great things about this team. I'm not sure I actually belong there."

"And of course its mostly men that make up the squad."

"You think they'll hate us for being females?" I asked.

"I'm nervous that they won't expect much and then be proven right."

"Well, we'll just have to prove them wrong."

P.O.V. Soap

I sighed and looked at the files General Shepherd sent me again. I had no idea why General Shepherd was sending another medic and a combat engineer who was assigned to the C.I.A. We already had a medic and one female was enough. Not that I was against having women here, I was concerned with the way they would be treated by some of the men. Three women on a base full of men usually spelled trouble, but I had faith in my men to be professional and not cause problems. What I didn't understand was why send another medic and a combat engineer who was a few years out of practice. But I never asked questions when General Shepherd informed me that they would be joining the team. You never questioned Shepherd. There was a knock at my office door, bringing me back to reality.

"Come in."I said. Ghost walked in with Roach behind him.

"Riley, Sanderson, what brings you here?"I asked.

"We heard something about new arrivals, so we figured we would just come ask you ourselves." Ghost replied. I wished I could see his face so I could tell if he was pissed off or just curious.

"Well, we have two, a medic and a combat engineer. They'll be here shortly. Nikolai went to retrieve them from General Shepherd."

"So what are these guys like?" Roach asked.

"Not guys, they're females. And I have their files right here." I replied. Roach looked surprised. I couldn't see Ghost's reaction due to his mask and glasses, but he grabbed the files I handed him. He was my Lieutenant so Ghost was granted to this access, but Roach was only a Sergeant and wasn't qualified for it. He began to look around my office while Ghost looked over the information I've all but memorized. Roach cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"I think I'm going to hit the gym and train with Meat and Royce." he said.

"Good idea, mate. Then you might actually stand a chance the next time we spar." Ghost replied without looking up. Roach laughed.

"Yeah right. You cheated last time." he said with a smile as he walked out the door. Ghost looked at me and handed the files back.

"We just got another member three weeks ago. It defeats the purpose of having a special ops squad if you just keep adding people, it'll soon become a whole fucking army." he said as he sat down in the chair in front of my desk.

"I know." Liam Nox, call-sign "Sin", was the new guy we gained three weeks ago who replaced one of our guys we lost awhile back. He usually did side missions with Meat and Royce to get used to being in the Task Force.

"And why are they females? I'm not sexist, and I'm aware they can do just as much as we can, but some of the guys around here-"

"I know, mate. But it's not like a lot of the guys actually permanently stay here besides our team. Most of them are just doing stupid tasks for Shepherd. We can handle it."

"Ashton Shepherd? She's his daughter, right? Doesn't that make you wonder?"

"Aye, she is. But don't jump to conclusions, she has earned her place on the team like the rest of us. Shepherd isn't the kind you sweet talk for stuff."

"That may be, but you have to admit mate, there's something off about this. They have great experience and I'm willing to work with them, but I'm not sure what Shepherd is planning." Ghost said, shaking his head.

"They're part of the team now. We are going to treat them as such."

"I know. I wonder how the rest of them will react."

"Well, we're about to find out." I replied as the sound of Nikolai's plane got louder.

* * *

I'm sorry if chapters are kinda short, I'll try to make them longer. Thank you for your support and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

pov Emma

The plane began to lower itself onto the ground. My nerves were on edge. I wasn't ready for this. Maybe it was a mistake. There was no way in hell I can be on a team this experienced, it made no sense at all. I hated Shepherd and most of his men. What if these guys were just like them? I also knew that I wasn't physically as great as these guys and maybe even Ashton and I wanted to prove myself. But I had my doubts. Nikolai landed the plane with great expertise.

"This the place?" Ashton asked.

"Da, this is the place." he replied.

"It's smaller than I was expecting." I told him while I looked out at the base.

"We have a smaller team so we don't require a huge base, my friend. But I am sure you will like it."

"I hope so." Ashton said as we exited the plane. It was a little colder than I was used to, but not unbearable. There was a few buildings right by each other on the left and a couple more on the right. Definitely smaller than I expected. There was a man walking towards us. He was tall and muscular and kind of lean. The perfect combination to get my heart racing. He wore a tight black shirt with camo pants and a pair of boots and I immediately regretted not wearing my camo. His dark hair was cut in a mohawk, but something about him screamed authority. When he got closer, I noticed he had ice blue eyes and a scar through his left eye.

"Captain MacTavish, General Shepherd was not able to come, he has other matters to attend." Nikolai told him as he handed him the files from earlier. Captain MacTavish nodded and smiled at him. It was obvious they were friends.

"Thanks Nikolai." he turned to us. "Now, let's get down to business, eh? I'm Captain MacTavish and I am CO of One-Four-One. You will receive your orders through me and if have any problems or questions, I'm the one to talk to. I'll give you a tour, then you can meet the rest of the team, alright?"

"Yes sir." we said. Nikolai walked away as Captain MacTavish led us on our tour. He led us by the gym, the shooting range, and showed us his office. We ended up at the medical building.

"This is where you'll be working, Shepherd. You have another medic working with you and you'll get to meet her later. But right now, I want to go ahead and show you to your rooms. Since there is only three females and it was last minute, you get to room in the spare rooms in here. You get your own showers and all that. The team usually sleeps by the rec room and my room is by my office." He gave us a chance to put our bags in our separate rooms. He then led us outside to a huge garage building. The wide doors were open, exposing the Humvee inside. "Miller, you will be working here. You will help with fixing and building equipment when necessary. You have an office in the back and there are also some computers that help keep the comms linked and view our mission progress in the back. There may be times you will be required to use them if necessary, I'm hoping you CIA experience had prepared you for this. Now, how about meeting some teammates, eh?" he said with his heavy Scottish accent. He led us across the base, to the rec room. Inside there was a tv with a couch and an armchair in front of it. There were two men playing chess and another man in the corner shuffling cards at a table. On of the men playing chess looked at us, or I assumed he looked at us. It was hard to tell with his red sunglasses and skull balaclava.

"Alright Gents, this is Sergeant Miller and Sergeant Shepherd. They will be joining us as a new medic and a combat engineer." he walked up to the man with the balaclava. "This is Ghost, he's my lieutenant, and this is Ozone. The man with the cards is Archer, our main sniper. The rest of the team is around here somewhere, you'll meet them sooner or later." Ashton frowned.

"Ghost? Ozone? Are these nicknames or...?"

"Call-signs. We use them for identity protection. You'll get one too." he replied. Ozone smiled

"Welcome to the team, ladies! Sergeant Miller right? Maybe you could show me around the garage and teach me some of that engineer magic of yours." Ozone said with a wink. I laughed.

"Sure, and its just Emma. I haven't been called by my rank since the marines." I replied.

"Emma. Cool, I like it! What about you? Gotta first name?" he asked, turning to Ashton.

"It's Ashton." she replied with a shy smile.

"The rec room and gym are always open, so you can go there whenever." Captain MacTavish said, gaining our attention.

"Don't forget about chow" Ghost said and I realized it was the first time he had said anything since we met him.

"Right, we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the mess hall. I advise you eat before training in the mornings." he checked his watch. "Well I have to get back to the office. Feel free to look around and I'll see you at training, which starts at 0500." Captain MacTavish walked out without another word. Archer shook our hands and followed suit.

pov Ghost

Captain MacTavish and Archer walked out, leaving me and Ozone with the FNG's. Fucking New Girls. Emma's eyes looked grey and cold, calculating, and guarded. I wasn't really surprised. She's seen a lot of death while in the marines. Her file said that she knew the squad that went after Al-Asad years ago. The same squad that got killed with the nuke. That's when she decided it was her last term in the marines and went to the CIA. She definitely looked like a marine. I was actually curious to see what she was capable of doing.

I looked over Ashton. She was nervous, that was obvious. She's from the army. They weren't as disciplined as the marines, but they still had great soldiers. We didn't need another medic though. We had Nora, and Archer had basic knowledge of it in case we needed it on the field. There was a chance she didn't even belong here at all. I was almost sure that daddy pulled strings so his daughter could move forward in her career. I couldn't stop from thinking of reasons she would be here. I didn't find a good one. I looked at Ozone. He continued to smile and joke with Ashton. He was a friendly guy, and was one of the first to welcome a new member with open arms.

"The rest of them are in the gym, did you go there on the tour?" Ozone asked.

"We went there, but we didn't go in. Captain MacTavish was in a hurry." Emma replied.

"Yeah Royce, Meat, and Roach are in there sparring. Would you like to meet them?"

"Sure, might as well." Emma replied as she shrugged her shoulder. I had a feeling me and her would get along just fine.

"Follow me." I said as I moved away from the chess board. I began to walk out of the rec room, towards the gm. I didn't miss the look of surprise Ashton gave me before she quickly looked away and gave Ozone a smile.

Emma and Ashton followed me as I made my way to the gym. When we walked in, Royce was talking to Sin and Meat was still going at it with Roach. Royce looked over, immediately noticing our entrance.

"Meat! Roach! They new guys are here!" Ozone said and then looked at the girls. "No offense, of course."

"None taken." Emma replied with a smirk. The men walked over and introduced themselves. The team was friendly enough. Roach and Meat began to argue about who had the upper hand.

"I totally had you!" Meat said with a smirk.

"No. You were slowing down and I was about to pin you down before Ghost came in." Roach replied. Royce shook his head and shook the girls' hands and welcomed them to the team. I sighed. This was not what I expected at all.

pov Soap

I sat in my office thinking about the new arrivals. Emma was beautiful and I couldn't help noticing how she assessed everything around her. It was most likely a habit. She was a marine, she was trained to be aware of everything. I also couldn't help noticing her eyes. Not because of the color. a beautiful haunting, yet intriguing, calm-before-the-storm kind of grey, but because of how cold they were. Almost as if she was numb and deprived of all feeling. Heartless. What if she was so heartless, so into the mission, that she wouldn't think for the team? I couldn't risk that, didn't want to risk it. I couldn't trust her. I didn't want someone like that on my squad, but there was nothing I could do or say. Despite what I thought, we needed her. General Shepherd made it clear that she was here for good. She may be cold and uncaring, but she was well-trained, and that's what Shepherd wanted.

Ashton was completely different. Her mossy green eyes were full of life, vibrant. She was nervous though. At first, I thought she was just some little daddy's girl, but she looked like she didn't even want to be here. Which didn't seem right. Ghost's words rang in my ears._ I'm telling you mate, there is something off about this._ There was something going on that I didn't know, and I had full intention on finding out what it was.

pov Ashton

Ghost didn't like me. Or I assumed he didn't. I couldn't tell since his face was completely covered. But I got the feeling he was watching my every move and he avoided me as much as possible. He would say few words here and there and they were usually towards Royce or Emma. Never to me. Meat and Roach continued to spar while Sin went off to the rec room to watch a game. Meat finally pinned Roach down, causing him to tap out.

"I told you I'd win." Meat said with a huge smile as he walked away.

"Whatever, mate. I'll get you next time." Roach replied with a laugh. Meat approached me with the same smile.

"So, what do you think so far?" he asked.

"Think of what?" I replied.

"Of the team, of course."

"Oh, well, you guys are okay so far."

"Just okay? Well. I'm just going to have to change your mind, huh?" he said as he winked at me. I laughed.

"I guess so." I replied. I sounded more confident than I felt. I didn't belong here and sooner or later, they would figure that out. I wasn't cut out for this. Any of it. Not just the task force, but all of it. The army, the CIA, everything. This wasn't me. It was my father.

Ugh. My father. The man who pushed me towards the army, the one who made me join this team, the one who wouldn't let me be me. I never wanted to join the military, that was Emma's thing, never mine. I wanted to go to college and become a doctor. But after my parents' divorce, my mom couldn't afford it and the scholarships weren't enough. I swallowed my pride and asked my father for help. I got his answer and here I am. I told Emma about my decision and she didn't like it. At all. She insisted I did reserves if anything, so I could go to college and be done after four years. But I was young and trying to make my father proud. Trying to be the son he had desperately wanted. Emma met my father at our high school graduation and she told him what she thought. They have hated each other ever since.

I was surprised when he told me Emma was coming with me to the team, but I was relieved. It was comforting to have a familiar face with me. But I still felt alone. She was trained well and was meant for something like this. She always was. Her father was in the Navy and he was her inspiration all these years. Of course she never talks about it. She can;t afford to get emotional. She had a cold, hard exterior, but of course that was just a front. A front I wish I could pull off. But none of these people knew Emma like I did. She was my best friend and I needed her. Because if she isn't here, then I wouldn't have anybody, I would be truly alone. And right now, I needed all the friends I could get.

* * *

Hope you guys like it! Please Review!


	4. Chapter 4

pov Emma

I knew this was a nightmare. It was the same nightmare I've been having for years now. It was when I was in active duty and the squad was after Al-Asad. I had to get to the tank and fix it so it could get out of the bog. Lt. Valquez and his men surrounded me.

"How could you leave us behind?" Lt. Valquez asked as he glared at me. "We're your team, your brothers. And you betrayed us."

"No! I didn't mean too! I would never..." I replied frantically.

"Why, Emma?" Sgt. Jackson asked, his eyes full of pain. "We trusted you and you turned your back on us like we didn't even matter!"

"Paul, I would never do that to you! You're my best friend!" I began to cry. This felt so real and I never felt so much pain in my life.

"Why couldn't you save them, Emma? Why couldn't you save me?" I turned towards the new voice, knowing who it was before I saw him standing behind me. His dark brown eyes anguished.

"Griggs...Please..." I begged.

"I trusted you, Emma. We're Devil Dogs, remember? A family. You failed your family. We got away, but I died anyway and you weren't there. Our squad died and you walked away. We could have went back but you didn't. I died and you weren't there for me."

"Please..."

"You don't belong here! You don't deserve this!"

"Griggs! I tried!" I began to cry harder.

"You should have died with us, Emma! Semper Fidelis! Always Faithful, remember?!" Sgt. Jackson yelled.

"How dare you call yourself a Marine!" Lt. Valquez snapped.

"You're nothing. You"re not one of us." SSgt. Griggs spat.

"Traitor!" Lt. Valquez yelled.

"You're a failure!" SSgt. Griggs sneered.

"I loved you!" Sgt. Jackson's voice rang out.

"No!" I screamed as I shot up in bed. I began to shake and I wiped the tears from my face. I couldn't stop crying. Their faces were so real, so vivid, the image burned in my memory. I tried to take a couple deep breaths to calm my nerves, but it didn't work. I got up and changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I grabbed my running shoes. There was only one way to get this out of my system, to move along. Run it out.

pov Ashton

Training that morning went okay. I found out not only did Ghost not like me, but he didn't have anything to do with me at all. Normally, I wouldn't care, but for some reason, this bothered me. I wanted to ask for Emma's opinion, but she looked like she was already going through something rough. She was more detached than normal. Of course I wasn't the only that noticed. Captain MacTavish watched her while we trained and did exercises. I wasn't trained to read people, but I was a medic, so it came naturally with the job. And I could tell that Captain MacTavish didn't really approve of her. She did great during training. It was so natural to her. But he still watched her closely and I had a bad feeling that there was something more to it.

After training, Emma took off towards the garage and I went to the medical building. When I walked into my office, there was a woman sitting at the desk with her legs crossed and a lab coat. She had wavy brown hair with blue eyes. She actually had makeup which surprised me. Her glossy red lips curved into a smile.

"Hello. You must be the new medic! I'm Nora!" she said with a bubbly, sweet voice. I didn't know if I was going to like her.

"I'm Ashton."

"What a lovely name!" she cracked the gum she was chewing. "Got a call-sign?"

"Not yet."

"Well mine is Candy! Because I'm so sweet!" she smiled wider and winked.

"That's...nice."

"Hmm...What should yours be, though?" she tapped her index finger on her chin. Her nails were painted bright red. I thought about something that would fit me perfectly. A memory of my mom reading me stories as a child came to me. They weren't just stories, they were fables, to teach me lessons in life.

"Fable." I said before I could stop myself. Nora lifted an eyebrow.

"Fable? Seems cute enough."

"Sure." I mumbled.

"Well, this is your office. Mine is on the other side of the medical room. This door leads to it. It makes going back and forth easier." she pointed to another door on my right. "We have desks in there, too. We have to make copies of every medical file we get so we can keep one in there and in our office. It makes things easier. You're lab coats are on the coat hanger on the back of you office door." I looked behind me and sure enough there was a row lab coats on the door.

"Taa-Daa!" Candy said in a sing-songy voice.

"Thanks." I said with a weak smile.

"No problem! Well, gotta dash, hun! Good luck!" she walked out of the office and shut the door. I sighed. She was definitely a piece of work.

pov Emma

I found a radio in my office which was a pleasant surprise. I would have to get some CD's when I had a chance. I plugged it in and found a rock station. I turned to the Humvee that needed worked on. My marine fatigues were going to get dirty fast. I put my hair in a messy bun and got to work. By the time I changed to oil and replaced the brakes it was time for lunch. I made my way to the mess hall. I looked around for Ashton after I got my food. I saw Captain MacTavish, Ghost, and Archer sitting at a table in the corner. Hell no. There was no way in hell I was sitting with Captain MacTavish. It was obvious he didn't like me and I doubted he trusted me. I had no idea what I did wrong but apparently it caused him to keep a close eye on me.

I finally found Ashton sitting with some burnette who wore too much makeup. I made way over. Ashton seen me and she smiled, her eyes screamed for help. I sat next to her and looked at the mystery woman. She reminded me of one of those women who would beg for attention and hit on any guy who had a six-pack and money in his pocket.

"Hi! You must be the other newbie! I'm so glad I'm not the only woman here, with all these strong me. Never know what could happen, if you know what I mean." she said with a giggle, then winked. Ashton choked on her water. I frowned.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked.

"Oh! Silly me, I'm Nora aka Candy."

"She's the other medic." Ashton said with a raspy voice from choking.

"Right. Well I'm Emma."

"Nice to meet you, doll! So, what's going on with you and the captain?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"Excuse me?" I asked. I was starting to not like this woman.

"Well, he's staring at you, so I figured there was something going on. That was kind of fast." She giggled again. I stiffened at her words. Part of me wanted to look around to see if it was true, while the rest of me wanted to avoid his beautiful ice blue eyes completely. Wait, beautiful? "Of course, I shouldn't assume, since most of the guys are looking you up and down too." she added, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What guys?"

"Oh, some army guys that Shepherd has running around here for some training exercises. They spend most of their time on the opposite side of the base. Anf they can't keep their eyes off of you!"I turned around and to my surprise a table full of soldiers were, in fact, staring at me. One of them winked. I turned away, glaring.

"You little minx, you! Me-ow!" Nora laughed. Meat and Roach sat down with us and looked between me and Nora.

"What are you talking about?" Meat asked.

"Emma is our little celebrity. Men can't get enough of this cool cat. Oh! I just figured out your call-sign!" Nora gasped with excitement. What about 'Lynx?'"

"Lynx?" I asked.

"Of course! The cat that lives in the winter. You're a kitty cat with the men and you're eyes are grey like the color of the sky when it snows...its perfect!" she exclaimed.

"I actually like it." Ashton replied with a smile. "It's perfect for our little ice princess." she said as she winked at me.

"Great! We have Lynx and Fable!" Nora said.

"Fable?" Roach asked.

"Yep! That's Ashton's call-sign."

"That's awesome! I'm going let Captain MacTavish know." he said with excitement as he shot up from his chair.

"Wait!" I called but it was too late. He was already gone. This isn't how I wanted to earn my call-sign. My captain would think I was some kind of whore. What if he thought I was with a bunch of guys? Why did I even care? Why was I so concerned with what he would think? I should be able to hang out with guys if I wanted to. So why was I so bothered by this? I sighed.

"So how are you darling?" Nora asked Meat, putting her hand on his arm.

"I'm not sure. I might need another check up." he replied.

"Oh yeah? Should I make an appointment for you in my office?" I almost gagged. Hearing them flirt was just the thing that made me lose my appetite.

pov Soap

I watched as Roach jumped up from his chair and walk to our table. By the look on his face he seemed happy about something. It was hard to guess what it could be. He was sitting with Candy, so anything was possible.

"Hey guys, mind if I join you?" he asked as he sat down across from me, blocking my view of Emma.

"What do'yah want, Roach?" I asked.

"We've figured out their call-signs." he said with a huge smile.

"Who's call-sign?" Archer asked.

"Emma and Ashton's, of course!" Roach exclaimed.

"Alright, what are they?" I asked.

"Well, Ashton is Fable and Emma is Lynx."

"Lynx? What in the bloody hell made her choose that as her name?" I asked.

"She might like cats." Archer said.

"Well, Candy gave it to her."

"Of course she did." Ghost muttered.

"Why would she give her that name?" Archer asked.

"Are you blind? Did not see her at training this morning? She has stealth. And of course she's beautiful. Candy said she's a kitty cat with men. Me and Meat overheard her saying something about a bunch of Shepherd's men checking her out. So Candy called her a kitty cat and she got the bright idea of Lynx. Besides her eyes are grey, so it kind of fits her." Roach explained. Ghost shook his head and Archer raised an eyebrow. I was pissed. I never liked most of Shepherd's men. They had no right to disrespect my team like that. Sure, I didn't like her and I didn't really trust her just yet, but she was still on my team. There was no way in hell I was going to let this go on.

Candy, Ashton, and Emma got up and left their table, heading towards the exit. One of the guys grabbed Emma's arm, making her stop. He said something and Emma glared at him. Ashton's eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth while Candy rolled her eyes. I stiffened. I waited for something to happen, but she just yanked her arm away and stormed off. The guy and his friends all began to laugh. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists as Candy and Ashton followed Emma.

"You alright there, mate?" Ghost asked making me remember where I was.

"Fine, why?" I asked.

"Just curious." he replied.

"I'm going to go finish some paperwork." I muttered as I stood up and walked away. I felt Ghost's eyes on the back of my head as I made my way to the table of guys that stopped Emma. They looked up when I approached the table.

"Gentlemen." I said, my voice like steel, cold and hard. I glared at them.

"Captain." one of them said in reply.

"I know we have to share a base, and I don't mind you being here. However, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't interfere with my team." I said.

"Interfering? It's lunch, _sir._" the guy who grabbed Emma sneered. Ghost was suddenly standing beside me with his arms crossed over his chest. I never heard him walking up behind me. Of course, his name is _Ghost._

"We don't care when it is. If we ever catch you disrespecting our men, it won't be good. So I suggest you grow up and show some respect." Ghost snapped. I was reminded of the reason this man was my lieutenant and my best friend.

"Well she's not much of a man, is she lieutenant?" my temper flared.

"She's part of my team, Private. Now I suggest you lose your fucking attitude and listen clear, lad. They are part of my squad and they will be treated with respect. I don't care who you think you are, what matters is that I'm Captain and you're a Private. Learn your place! If you ever talk to my female squad members with disrespect or unprofessionally, you'll answer to me. Then you can spend time explaining to General Shepherd why I sent him a recommendation letter for your departure. Understood?"

He glared and muttered under his breath.

"Speak clearly when Captain MacTavish addresses you, Private." Ghost ordered.

"Am I understood?" I asked with malice.

"Yes sir." he spat.

"You know better than to disrespect a captain, Private. You better watch yourself, ungrateful git." Ghost snapped. I turned and walked out of the mess hall, making my way to my office with Ghost on my heels.

"What was that, mate?" Ghost asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I replied.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not blind, John. I know you don't like her and don't really trust her. You've been watching her since training this morning. Then, you find out a bunch of Privates were checking her out and all of a sudden you're quick to jump to her defense. After she left, of course. You couldn't really say anything when he grabbed her, could you?" Ghost asked him sarcasm.

"She can take care of herself, Simon. You're right, I don't like her and I sure as hell don't trust her, but she is part of this team and I won't let anyone disrespect my team."

"That's bullocks and you know it, mate! You didn't have a problem with them until Roach told you they were checking Emma out. And don't say it's because you don't want them disrespecting the team. They hit on Candy like that all the time and you know it! But when it happens to Emma, you won't tolerate it. I think you're just jealous." I stopped walking and turned to him.

"Jealous? You think I'm jealous? Of what?" I demanded.

"You heard Roach and I know you aren't blind or deaf, John. Emma is beautiful. It's kind of hard not to notice, mate. You're not very subtle at hiding it, either. Everybody notices you watching her. She's not that bad, if you just talk to her. It's the only way you're going to able to trust her. Yeah, I think you're jealous because other guys notice her, not only you. Stop being stubborn and get to know her." With that said, Ghost turned and walked away. I frowned. Was he right? Was I really jealous? And if so, why? I shook my head. No, there was no way I was jealous. I turned and continued to head to my office with a question that I always ask myself in questioning situations. What would Captain Price do?

pov Ghost

I found myself walking to the garage after my confrontation with Captain MacTavish. It was obvious he was jealous. Roach and Archer even noticed his behavior. He needs to also keep in mind that there is more to Emma than what meets the eye. I sighed. Who was I to talk though? I avoid Ashton like the plague. Maybe I should be taking my own advice instead of being a hypocrite. I knocked on the metal sliding door of the garage building. Emma looked up from the hood of the Humvee. She turned around and began wiping her hands with a rag. She was covered in grease. She had a smear on her cheek and forehead. Her hands were completely covered and her fatigues had black smears all over.

"Is there something I can help you with Ghost?" she asked.

"No, not really?" I replied.

"Okay, mind if I ask why you're here then?"

"I want to talk to you."

"You want to talk to me?" she asked as she narrowed her eyes, making them darker.

"Yes, I want to talk to you about Captain MacTavish." I replied. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Captain MacTavish? Why?"

"He doesn't trust you, therefore he doesn't like you."

"Tell me something I don't know." she replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes, recovering from her former shock.

"Alright, he confronted the guy that grabbed you during chow."

"What?"

"Yea, he set him straight real quick."

"Why would he do that? Look, I appreciate that, but I can take care of myself."

"Because he's a great captain. He cares about his team. He thinks there's something off about you, and honestly I did too. But you're still part of the team."

"What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything. It was how you presented yourself, how you still present yourself. He's a Captain, so he has to be able to read people. He notices your cold and worries that you won't care about the team."

"I'm trained-"

"To put your emotions aside, I know. Just prove him wrong."

"Look, I've been through some serious shit, okay? I'm sorry if I can't be Mary fuckin' Poppins."

"I understand. Believe me, I do. But you can't push people away because of what happened in Iran." Her eyes widened. "Yeah, I know what happened and so does Captain MacTavish. We understand, but you can't push people away and dwell on it, love. It'll tear you apart." She looked away and started to fidget.

"I-I would like to talk about it, I can't tell Ashton. This is something she wouldn't completely understand." she replied quietly. I nodded.

"Come with me to your office. Let's get this straightened out." We walked to her office and she shut the door. She took a deep breath.

"Sergeant Jackson was my closest friend on the squad," she began. "He was someone I could trust with anything. He fell in love with me and I turned him down before we went after Al-Asad. He was more like a brother to me than anything. He said he understood and that's how it stayed. That squad was my family. Staff Sergeant Griggs was there when I heard that my brother got married. He stayed with me all night as I cried because of the guilt I felt for missing my brother's wedding. Lieutenant Valquez was my idol. he was a great squad leader. I belonged there. Then a tank got stuck in a bog while we were on the mission and I had to get it fixed. Of course I fixed it, and Lt. Valquez ordered me to follow SSgt. Griggs when there were in a plane giving air support. Well, they found a nuclear bomb and Griggs told us we had to leave. I followed him and we were almost out when one of the helicopters got shot down. turned around and went back for the pilot. Griggs wanted to follow at first, but I convinced him that we had to keep going, that they would be fine. We got to safety, but the others didn't make it. We were devastated. Then Griggs and some others were assigned to assist a SAS squad in Russia. Griggs begged me to go with him, but I refused. General Shepherd then assigned me to the CIA. Next thing I knew, I was attending his funeral. If I would've went with them, maybe I would've saved him."

"There's nothing you could've done, mate. You have survivor's guilt. We all have it and there's one person you should go to for help and advise."

"Who?"

"Captain MacTavish."

"No, I can't tell him this."

"Yes you can and you should. He knows more about this than you think. Just consider it, eh?"

"Yeah..."

"It's not your fault, Emma. It's war, it happens. I got to go take care of things. Remember what I said. Oh and Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"You belong here, too." I said as I put my hand on her shoulder then turned towards the door. "Catch you later...Lynx." I called over my shoulder as I walked out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Special thanks to:**

**Bloody-Rozez: Thanks for all the advice you constantly give me and for the story you're writing for me. I am so glad I got you into Call of Duty!**

**Blair Cornelia Deveraux: Thanks for the support! I tried to add some to this chapter, but there will be more in the future, I promise!**

**CrazyChi: Thanks so much! I try to make it sound just right. I worry that Soap's Scottish accent doesn't come out enough or that Ghost's accent isn't noticeable, so thank you for your feedback! And I'm glad you liked their code names!**

* * *

pov Ashton

It was early. I couldn't sleep so I decided to go through some medical files to maybe get an idea of what these men were like. They usually get minor injuries, nothing too bad. Not yet at least. I rubbed my eyes and got the idea of training. I gasped. Shit! I forgot! I jumped up and rushed to my room, passing Emma. She gave me a strange look.

"Lost track of time! Tell Captain MacTavish I'm coming if I'm not there in five minutes!" I called, running down the hallway. I burst into my room and began to change into training attire. I began to run to the gym. When I got there, Captain MacTavish wasn't there yet. I made it just in time. I sighed.

"Hey you! It's about time you got here!" Meat said with a huge smile.

"Alright guys, here's the plan for today," announcing his and Ghost's arrival. "We'll be doing a course exercise outside. It's made of wood and it's been raining so be careful. Let's get started. Ladies first, of course." I nodded. Me and Emma walked to the wooden course behind the gym while the others followed. We got into starting positions. The team watched from the side.

"You got to let me win this one, Emma." I teased. She laughed.

"I'll give you a five second head start." she replied and it was my turn to laugh. Captain MacTavish gave us the go and I took off. True to her word, Emma gave me a head start. But something went wrong. I jumped on to a wooden log we had to balance across. Emma was catching up and I couldn't let her win. Not this time. I was almost at the end of the log and I got excited. I slipped and began to fall backwards as my ankle twisted. I gasped as pain shot through my ankle and head, then everything went black.

pov Emma

I gasped as she fell back and hit her head on the log. The way she fell didn't look good. I wasn't a medic, but I knew that her ankle shouldn't have twisted like that.

"No!" I screamed. I jumped off my log and slipped. I caught myself and ran to Ashton. Her head was bleeding badly. I took my shirt off and put it under her head, applying pressure to the wound. I checked her pulse just to make sure.

"Ashton! Emma, is she okay?" Roach asked as he ran over.

"Get a medic! Now!" I yelled at him. He turned around and ran for the medic building. Royce and Meat ran up and bent down to pick her up.

"Don't touch her!" I snapped. They backed up immediately. Captain MacTavish walked up with Ghost behind him.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"She fell and busted her head open. I think she twisted her right ankle pretty bad." I replied.

"Archer! Check her right ankle!" he ordered. Blood began seep through my shirt. My eyes began to water. Captain MacTavish kneeled and put his hand behind mine. I looked up at him as a few tears escaped.

"Please...help her." I begged quietly. His ice blue eyes bore into mine and I felt, for once, that this man was looking into my soul.

"I will, but you have to trust me." he whispered back. Slowly, I removed my hand, allowing him to take full control. Archer backed away as Captain MacTavish picked her up bridal style. He began to walk towards the medical building. Ghost helped me up and offered the hoodie he was wearing. I accepted it, realizing I was in my training bra.

"Training has been cancelled for today." Ghost called to Royce, Meat, and Archer. "Tell the rest of our squad." He began to lead me to the medical building. I was still crying. I couldn't lose Ashton. She was my best friend. My one true friend. I prayed Captain MacTavish got her to Nora in time. I was mentally kicking myself for crying in front of my Captain and losing control like that. What would he think of me now?

We walked through the entrance and saw Captain MacTavish leaning against the wall, watching the door to the medical room. There were a couple chairs and Ghost led me to one and motioned me to sit down.

"I cancelled training today." Ghost informed Captain MacTavish. He just nodded. "Emma, I'm going to get something to wash your hands with." He turned and left.

"Where is she? Is she okay?" I asked and he finally looked at me.

"Nora is checking her out. We aren't allowed in right now." he replied, his tone no longer stern like it usually was. And I realized just how amazing his voice was. It made me feel reassured and calm. I trusted this man and I knew he would keep his word. He would help Ashton in any way possible.

"Thank you." I said earnestly. His eyes widened in surprise. "I blanked and all I could think to do was hold her head. I panicked and wouldn't let anyone touch her." My voice cracked and new tears began to fall from my eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance. Ghost returned with a wet towel.

"Here, let me help you." he bent down in front of me and began to clean the blood of my hand. Captain MacTavish's eyes never left mine. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Then Candy opened the door.

"Alright, only Captain MacTavish can see her right now, so I can discuss her condition. Wait here." she motioned for Captain MacTavish to follow her and she shut the door behind them.

"You're reaction shocked the Captain. You may have finally proven him wrong, mate." Ghost whispered.

"Maybe." I murmured as I thought about the way Captain MacTavish's gaze made me feel and what it meant.

pov Soap

"She has a slight concussion and a sprained ankle. It'll take a while to recover. I'll give her a week before she can begin working again." Candy explained. Ashton was awake and didn't look happy. She had her ankle propped up and a bandage wrapped around her head.

"Thanks Candy. Could you give us a minute?" I asked.

"Of course, darlin'. If you need me, I'll be in my office." she replied with a wink. Once she was out of earshot, I approached Ashton.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Like shit. This sucks. I knew something like this would happen. I don't belong here."

"What are you talking about? Of course you belong here. You're great at what you do."

"That's what my file says. The truth is that I never wanted to come here. I'm only here because my father wants me to be. Gotta make sure his reputation isn't ruined by his daughter, you know." I frowned at her words.

"He sent you here to better his reputation?" I asked.

"Actually, I think it's a punishment. I told him that after my term in the army, I was going to quit. I want to go to college, and become a doctor. Well he didn't like that, so the next thing I know, I'm getting reassigned to the CIA and he sends me here. He did the same thing to me that he did to Emma. And its bullshit. He always has to be in control."

"Emma? What happened to Emma?" That caught my attention immediately. What did this asshole do to her? I was starting to like this man less and less.

"Emma is a great person and a good soldier. But her team...you know what happened, right?"

"Her squad died in the nuclear explosion. I remember, I was in the SAS then."

"She got out with Staff Sergeant Griggs."

"Griggs?" I asked. I felt as if all the air was sucked from my lungs. Griggs, the man who died trying to save my life, knew Emma? Why wasn't she with the squad that was assigned to help go after Imran Zakhaev?

"Yeah, he was on her squad. Only a few actually survived that blast. They were assigned to help a SAS squad and Emma wasn't ready for it, so she declined the offer to go. She said her job was to be a combat engineer, not to fight in the infantry. Well, Shepherd was extremely pissed about losing so many men and he didn't like Emma's reply. He assigned her to the CIA. He took what she loved to do the most away from her. All because she couldn't bare the though of fighting without the rest of her squad. There is so much about Emma that you don't know, but don't tell her I told you this. She doesn't know that I know."

"Then how do you know if she never told you?"

"I'm his daughter, I sneak into his office and hear things all the time. He thinks I'm stupid and that I don't understand things. But he's wrong."

"Of course he is. He may have pulled strings to get you here, but you are worthy of beingon this team. Both of you are." she smiled at my response.

"Thanks, Captain MacTavish."

"Only tellin' you the truth, mate. Now get better, I can't have you getting hurt anymore than you already have."

"Yes, sir." I smiled and walked out the door. Emma was still sitting in the chair with Ghost's hoodie on. She was no longer covered in blood or crying. Ghost was standing across from her with his arms crossed over his chest. Emma noticed me and jumped up.

"How is she?" she asked.

"She'll be okay. She got a concussion and sprained her ankle. She won't be back to work for a week," I replied. "Right now, she needs her rest." Emma nodded. An army guy burst through the door to the building an approached me.

"Captain MacTavish, General Shepherd wants to see you and Ghost immediately." he said. I nodded to Ghost and he followed the soldier out. I approached Emma and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Take the day off, spend some time in the rec room. But tomorrow I want you back at it, alright?"

"Yes, sir." she murmured. I walked out and headed for Shepherd's office.

pov Emma

I did as I was told. I went to the rec room. Meat and Royce were playing pool, Roach was reading and Nikolai was watching tv with Ozone. I decided to join Nikolai.

"Emma, what a pleasant surprise." he said as I sat next to him on the couch.

"Hey Nikolai. How have you been?"

"Good, good. You?"

"I've been okay. Ashton had a nasty fall earlier."

"Da, I've heard. How is she?"

"Well she sprained her ankle and got a concussion."

"I hope she gets well soon."

"Yeah, me too."

All of a sudden, an emergency broadcast came on, interrupting the soccer game. Meat and Royce stopped playing and Roach looked up from his book.

"What the hell is this?" Ozone asked. A news lady then showed up on the screen.

A couple days ago, an an american terrorist organization shot and killed millions of people in a Russian airport in Moscow and this action has not gone unanswered. As of now, Russian forces have invaded the United States-" The screen went black. I gasped and turned around as Ozone jumped up. Captain MacTavish and Ghost stood in front of the door. Captain MacTavish had the remote in his hand. He must have turned it off.

"What's going on?" Meat asked. Captain MacTavish sighed.

"Russia has declared war on America. They've invaded and the United States is a battlefield."

"What are we going to do?" Roach asked.

"Shepherd has given us a mission. We're going after a man called Alex the Red. Intel states that he supplied the shooting."

"What's the plan?" Ozone asked.

"We're headed to Rio de Janeiro. We're going to capture his right hand man. He'll tell us where Alex is, then we capture him as well. Hopefully, he'll give us a lead on Makarov."

"So, who's going?" Royce asked.

"Roach, Royce, Meat, and Ozone along with me and Ghost and a few others. We leave tomorrow morning." Captain MacTavish tossed Ozone the remote and walked out. Ghost sighed and sat down by Roach.

"It has been a crazy day, mate." he said to no one in particular.

"Does Shepherd know about Fable's accident?" Ozone asked.

"Dunno, he didn't say anything about it." Ghost shrugged his shoulders. I got up and walked out of the rec room to get some fresh air. It was a crazy day. Russia invading America? What about my parents? My brother? Katie and Gage? They lived in the country, but still. America was a war zone and nobody was safe. I began to walk, with no destination in mind. Everything was spinning out of control. The nightmares were getting worse. This time Captain MacTavish an Ghost were in them. Ghost telling me that it was my fault and that I was a fool to actually think I could belong here. And Captain MacTavish saying he regretted letting me on the team and that I would let everyone down. I didn't get any sleep at all. Ashton's fall only added to my stress. All this emotional shit brought me to tears. In front of Captain MacTavish. That made it even worse. I lost complete control in front of everybody. I looked up and found myself standing in front of Captain MacTavish's office. Ghost's words ran through my head. _He knows more about this than you think. Just consider it, eh?_ I sighed and raised my hand to knock on the door. I bit my lip and let my hand drop to my side. What if he didn't want to talk about it? What is he expects me to be stronger than this?

"Can I help you with something?" I gasped and looked over. Captain MacTavish was standing there, eyebrow raised and a coffee in his hand. I was so absorbed in my thoughts I didn't hear him approach. His black shirt clung to his mucsles, showing off his broad shoulders and toned chest. I fought the blush that threatened to creep onto my face.

"Umm...I..." My mind went blank. His eyes were so captivating, I lost my train of thought.

"Right. Well, let's discuss...whatever you want to discuss in my office, eh? My coffee is getting cold." I immediately stepped away from the door as he got his key out to unlock it. We walked in and he shut the door behind us. His office was warm and plain. I noticed he only had one picture frame on his desk by his computer. There were papers all over his desk with a stack of files. He walked to his desk, set his coffee down, and sat down. He leaned ack in his chair an put his hands behind his head. I bit my lip again.

"I fixed the Humvee." I blurted out suddenly. He just stared at my, eyebrow raised. This was going horribly. This man made me feel awkward, unsure of myself. He always caught me off guard and made me feel foolish.

"That's...good."he replied. I sighed in frustration.

"This is so hard! I hate this!" I stomped to the chair in front of his desk and sat down. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and put my face in my hands.

"What's so hard? And what do you hate exactly?" he asked. I looked up at him.

"Talking! I can't do it. I hate talking to people about this shit." I put my face back in my hands. It was silent for a few minutes.

"You didn't come here to talk about the Humvee." It wasn't a question. I looked up again. He was leaning forward, his arms resting on his desk. The intensity of his gaze pierced me. He was taking what I had to say seriously. He was taking_ me_ seriously. My natural reaction told me to run. To shut up and get the hell out of there and keep my skeletons locked away. But I didn't listen.

"No." I admitted.

"Then why _are_ you here?" The question wasn't cruel, just blunt.

"Ghost said you would understand."

"Ghost?"

"Yes."

"Okay, what exactly would I understand?" I bit my lip.

"My past."

"Your past?"

"Yes and I believe the reason you don't like me." His eyes narrowed at my response.

"Explain." I sighed and looked down and my hands.

"Iran was all my fault. My squad died and so did Griggs. It's my fault and you're afraid the same will happen to this team." He was quiet, so I continued. "They were my best friends and I did nothing to try and save them. I bust my ass to be the perfect Marine. You put your feelings aside and the mission always comes first. But I couldn't do it. Griggs wanted me with him when he was assigned to assisst the SAS squad, but I let fear and loss take control. I was sent to the CIA because I wasn't of any use and I refused to fight without my squad. It wasn't what I was trained for anyway. Then Griggs died and I began questioning myself. Maybe if I would have gone, I might have been able to save him. I was distraught. General Shepherd told me to put it aside or kiss my career goodbye. He told me that people come and go and that I needed to be more like a Marine and forget it. I did what I was ordered to do, but it never goes away." I was crying again and I hated myself for it. I continued to look down.

"It never does," he replied. I looked up at him. "Shepherd is an ass and he didn't give you the chance to mourn properly. you can't sweep it under the rug and walk away, it doesn't work that way. As for the guilt, I can't say anything to make you feel better. Anybody who tells you you'll be okay is a fuckin' liar. It'll haunt you until you forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault, there was nothing you could have done to save your squad from that bomb and you couldn't have done anything for Griggs, believe me. But _until_ you realize this, you won't be able to let it go. And you _need to let it go_."

"How do you know I couldn't save Griggs? There could've been-"

"There wasn't. If there was a way to save Griggs, I would've done it." he said.

"What?" I asked. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was on the SAS squad Griggs assisted. I was on that bridge when he was shot, Emma. He was pulling me to cover when it happened. That whole squad died before my eyes. If there is anyone you should blame, it should be me. I do understand what you're going through. My Captain died. So, believe me when I tell you there was_ nothing_ you could have done for Griggs." he explained. I frowned. I didn't know that. I had no ducking idea.

"I'll prove you wrong." I said suddenly. He lifted his eyebrow. "I mean, with the whole 'being cold-hearted' thing. I am trustworthy and I do care for my teammates. I'll prove it to you, sir."

"You already have." he said with a smirk. "Now Lynx, what about that Humvee, eh?"

pov Ghost

Against my better judgement, I went to go visit Fable. All the talk about how she had a nasty fall had finally gotten to me. As much as I didn't like her, she was part of the team. And everyone had visited her but me. I walked into the building's entrance and opened the door to the medical room quietly. I tried to be as quiet as possible considering everyone said she was reading and didn't like to be disturbed. Honestly, I was starting to regret my decision. I stopped in the doorway and leaned against the door frame. What the bloody hell was this?

pov Ashton

I hated laying around. After everyone visited me and Nora went to lunch, I got the bright idea of testing out my ankle. I sat up slowly and swung my legs over the bed. Ever so lightly, I put my feet on the floor. I began to slowly stand, using the nightstand as support so I didn't put too much weight on my injured ankle. I began to feel slightly dizzy so I started to take deep breaths.

"Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy?" A voice called from the door. I screamed and lost my balance. Two hands steadied me and led me to the bed where I sat down. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?" Ghost demanded. I flinched. The last thing I expected was for him to show up.

"I'm trying to get stronger." I replied softly.

"Well, you aren't going to do it like that. Aren't you a medic? You're supposed to know that, eh?" I blushed.

"Look, I can't just sit here."I retorted.

"I don't think you have much of a choice. You know, Captain MacTavish and Lynx would have your head if they knew."

"You're going to tell them?"

"I said 'if'. I'll make a deal with you. If you promise not to pull something like that again, I won't tell them. It'll be our dirty little secret, eh?

"Ok, I promise."

"Good. Well how do you feel?"

"Useless. I feel useless."

"It was an accident. And we kinda need medics."

"It was a stupid mistake. It won't happen again."

"Why are you beating yourself up over this? You slipped and fell, Fable. It could happen to anyone."

"It can't happen to me. I can't show him that I'm weak."

"Who?"

"My father." I replied softly.

"I don't understand."

"You don't think I've earned this spot on the team, do you?" I asked. He was silent for a few minutes. I laughed bitterly. "Thought so. Honestly, I probably didn't. My dad probably pulled strings to get me here, but not because I wanted it. He did it to make sure his reputation didn't get ruined when I wanted out. Long story short, I'm a disappointment and he's trying to cover it up."

"I'm sorry." I looked up in shock.

"What?"

I misjudged you. I apologize."

"O-okay."

"Don't worry about Shepherd, he's a piece of work. Captain MacTavish wanted you here, and here you are. Just rest and we'll see you after the mission, eh?" I smile at his response.

"Yeah but let's hope none of you end up here with me." he laughed and left. I sighed. Today was a crazy day.


	6. Chapter 6

**`Sorry it took so long to update. Please don't kill me. Enjoy!**

* * *

pov Emma

The next morning, Captain MacTavish and his team headed to South America to capture Rojas. I was ordered to stay on the comms just in case they needed me. I wasn't really sure what they would need me for, but orders were orders. I kept my ear piece in and stayed by the comms and computers in the back of my office. Ashton was still sulking in her hospital bed. She was pissed about not being allowed to work during the first mission. Honestly, I felt sorry for her. She had terrible luck. I would've felt the same if I was in her shoes. Nora insisted she needed to stay off her ankle.

I sighed as the clock on the wall ticked on. I hated this part. I'd rather be there than be on the other side of the comms, unable to do something then and there if anything went wrong. I waited. I wasn't sure exactly what I was waiting for, but still. I got so bored with just sitting here. I envied Nikolai. He was able to leave base and I was stuck here. The last update was that Captain MacTavish and Ghost had caught Alejandro's right hand man and was torturing him for answers. Roach, Meat, and Royce went to the fuvela to see if they could find Rojas. Then something about not being able to give Roach back up and that Rojas was using rooftops to get away. Then some more warnings to Roach. But that had been a bit ago, and I was getting antsy. Why would Roach need back up anyway? Did they lose him? What about Meat and Royce? Where was Rojas now? I've heard Captain MacTavish say he took off on the rooftops, but where? Were they close? And why the hell haven't I heard one word about Meat and Royce? Couldn't they back up Roach? Or did they split up? I didn't hear the orders for them to. The situation made me fear the worst but I couldn't afford to think like that.

"He's headed your way Roach! Cut him off so he doesn't double back!" Captain MacTavish's voice rang out through the comms suddenly, bringing me out of my thoughts abruptly.

"I've got a leg shot! I repeat, I have a leg shot. We can end this now!" Ghost said.

"Negative, we can't risk it! We need him alive! Roach, hurry! Don't let him get away!"

"Don't let the militia stop you for long, Roach! Throw some flash bangs at 'em!" Ghost yelled.

Then silence. I bit my lip and started to bounce my leg up and down. I wanted to be in the action. Bad. I haven't realized how bad until now. I could almost smell the gun powder. I sighed again.

"He's getting away!" Ghost yelled.

"No, he's not." Captain MacTavish replied calmly, with the sound of glass shattering in the background. "We got the package, I repeat we got the package." I pressed on my ear piece.

"Roger that, sir"

"Lynx get a squad together to be clean-up crew and send them out here as soon as you can. We're working on getting transportation out of here now. Ghost says command has their head up their arse."

"Clean-up crew, sir?"

"We...we have two fatalities. We need to get their bodies collected and sent home. I'm not leaving them out here." My heart squeezed and I couldn't breath. Fatalities?

"Who, sir?"

"Meat and Royce. Notify Candy and Fable. Make sure you get that squad together. Out."

The comms went silent again. Meat and Royce? I barely knew them, but it was still hard to wrap my head around it. I got up and made my way to Nora's office. I felt like I was in a daze, I couldn't feel anything at this point. It was like a bad dream. I knocked and heard a soft "come in". I entered the office. She was flipping through a magazine, looking as bored as I was just fifteen minutes ago. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes before I got the news of two fallen soldiers. That's how long it took for me to find out that two men I once knew was gone. I clenched my teeth and fought back tears.

"We have two fatalities." I said, feeling like a robot. She stopped flipping the pages and looked up at me.

"Who were they?" she asked carefully.

"Meat and Royce." The words felt like acid on my tongue. Her eyes filled with tears and I felt like I was going to be sick.

"I'll let Ashton know." She whispered. I nodded and left. I felt sick. The look on her face ripped my chest wide open. Guilt tore my stomach to shreds and the queasiness intensified. I hated giving that kind of news to someone who loved them. I didn't necessarily like her, but nobody deserves to hear that kind of news. I honestly didn't think Meat and Nora were serious. But then again, they didn't have to be. Even I was overwhelmed by their loss. Meat always had a joke and always had something smart to say. He never failed to make people smile. And Royce. He was always firm. He was somebody you could lean on. He always had a plan and kept Meat and Roach in check. He was like Ghost and Archer that way. I made my way to the rec room. Archer was watching a movie, but everyone else was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Archer, I got some news." I said as I sat next to him on the couch. He paused the movie and I continued. "We lost Meat and Royce so Captain MacTavish needs a clean-up squad to get their bodies so we can send them home." Archer frowned and shook his head.

"You want me to grab some men and go?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. I want you to take Scarecrow, Chemist, and Sin out there and bring them back to us. Is Nikolai here?"

"No, he just left actually. Got a call from Captain MacTavish saying something about command being assholes and not sending a chopper to them. Don't worry, I know a couple pilots that can get us there and back."

"Good. Be careful, there could still be some of Rojas' men in that area. Keep it silent and make it quick."

"Understood. You sound just like MacTavish when you give out orders, you know that?" I opened my mouth then closed it. I nodded and left with nothing more to say.

pov Soap

"Roach! I can't see you! Get to the rooftops!" I yelled. Nikolai finally got to us. We ran along the rooftops to get to him, we made a huge jump, but Roach didn't make it. He slipped and fell before I was able to get to him and pull him up. Ghost and I yelled at him until he became conscious again. Ghost told him that a whole army of Rojas' men were coming his way. Now, Roach was running for his life and I lost sight of him. I'd be damned if I lost another one of my men today. The loss of Meat and Royce was a hard blow, but I didn't have time to mourn right now. The most I could do is get Roach to safety and have a squad retrieve their bodies. I just hoped Emma pulled through. Then, Roach finally made it to the rooftops.

"MacTavish, I'm running out of fuel! You must hurry!" Nikolia insisted.

"Roach, we're running outta fumes here! you've got thirty seconds!" I yelled through the comms. He continued to run. "Left! Go left and jump!" He turned at the edge of the roof and jumped. He ran until he came to a sloped roof. He slid down through the window of the house. I threw a ladder out of the side of the plane. Roach ran out of the house and jumped onto the rope. "We got him! Let's go!"

"Where to, my friend?" Nikolai asked.

"Just get us back to base." I replied. Roach climbed his way into the plane and began to pull the ladder back in.

"Captain MacTavish?" Lynx asked through the comm link.

"Yeah?"

"Archer, Sin, Scarecrow, and Chemist are on their way to get Meat and Royce."

"Good. The area is still hot, so tell them to make it quick and to watch themselves. Don't want them stirring things up than they already are."

"Already done, sir."

"Good. Out."

I sighed. This was going to be a long ride.

pov Ghost

We finally made it to base and usually there would be laughing, cheers, high fives, and pats on the back. But not this time. This time it was quiet. Nobody said a word as we got off and headed towards the rec room. Nora and Emma were sitting at a table. The tv was playing a movie, but nobody seemed to be paying much attention. Roach collapsed on the couch and put his head in his hands. Captain MacTavish said something about a debrief and walked out. Ozone cleared his throat.

"You know, we should celebrate."

"Celebrate? You want to celebrate?" Candy asked queitly as she stared at her hands. Emma tensed and I frowned. This couldn't be good.

"Well, yeah. The mission was a success and-"

"Success? You think Royce dying in a dirty fuvela on a street a success? You call having him never walking through that door a success?!" she yelled. She stood up and stormed up to Ozone and jabbed his chest. "How dare you!? He's gone and never coming back, and all you want to do is party!" She slapped his face and walked out, slamming the door behind her. I looked at Emma and she sighed.

"She's been crying since she found out. She's pretty tore up."

"I didn't mean..." Ozone began.

"I know."

"We should celebrate though. Celebrate their lives and their time here. That's what I was trying to say." Emma nodded.

"I'll be back." I said. I walked to Captain MacTavish's office and walked in. He was sitting at his desk, staring at Meat's and Royce's files. He was leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. His face void of all emotion.

"John..." I began.

"We need to box up their belongings and get a hold of their families. Archer will be here soon with the bodies."

"You need to take a break, mate."

"I lost two of my men, Simon. There's no taking a break. I need to get this done and move forward."

"Pushing it aside and dealing with it later isn't moving forward, John. It's avoiding it completely. You're burying yourself in work to forget, not to come to terms with it. They were great men and you led them well. The paperwork can wait for later and so can the boxes. Tonight, we're celebrating their time here and their accomplishments. Tomorrow, we can deal with sending bodies and boxing belongings."

"Alright, mate." I turned and opened the door.

"Keep talking like that John, and you'll start to sound like Emma." With that, I left.

pov Ashton

Nora checked my ankle and my head. I wanted to say something to her about Meat, but I couldn't find anything and sorry wouldn't give it justice. She kept checking, keeping herself busy. I knew the feeling.

"They're celebrating tonight. To, you know, honor them and their time here." she said quietly.

"Really?"

"Yeah...it's tradition. After a mission, it's what we do. When we lose somebody, we do it to honor what they did for the team."

"Oh. Well that's..."

"I kinda freaked out when Ozone mentioned it. I shouldn't have. Royce would want it this way and of course Meat would. Meat would be pissed if we didn't. I just...it hurts so much."

"Nora...I can't say that I understand, but it will get better. It'll take time, but it will." She looked at me and smiled.

"You and Emma are so much alike. I know she's not fond of me, but she was there for me when I finally broke down."

"Yeah, Emma's a good person. She's like one of those tootise pops, hard on the outside and all sweet and gooey on the inside."

"Hmm...I bet Captain MacTavish wonders how many licks it takes to get to the center." I blushed and she laughed."But seriously, she sat there listened to every word and story I had about the relationship I had with Royce."

"Royce? I thought you were with Meat?"

"Really? Emma didn't act surprised."

"Emma never does."

"Oh, well yeah. Me and Royce. We tried to hide it. So Meat flirted and I flirted back. A little favor to Royce to throw people off, but we after awhile we figured people already knew so me and Meat flirted out of habit. It turned into a game after awhile. He was like a brother to me, as weird as it sounds."

"Oh. Wow, I never would have guessed."

"Yeah...well...thanks for cheering me up Fable, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome Candy."

"Will you go to the party?"

"Can I?"

"Yeah, just let me remove those bandages. I'll give you a pair of crutches."

"Well then, I guess I'll be there."

pov Emma

It was loud. Music blared and the room was filled with cigarette smoke. Everybody was laughing and having a great time. Beer and whiskey was everywhere. Captain MacTavish was playing cards with Candy, Ghost, and Roach. Archer, Sin, and Ozone were doing shots. Ashton was nursing a beer by the tv with Nikolai who had his own beer. Suddenly, the music stopped playing.

"Can I have everybody's attention?" Archer asked as he stood up with a beer in his hand. We all stopped talking and watched Archer. "I would like to make a toast. Meat and Royce were great men and damn good soldiers. To Meat and Royce!"

"To Meat and Royce!" we replied and we all took a drink.

"I would also like to make another toast. I want to take this moment to honor our Captain." Archer said. MacTavish leaded back in his chair with his hands on still on the table with his cards, with a small fake smile. His eyes was the only way you could tell he was surprised. "Captain MacTavish, you put up with all our crazy shit and lead us through each mission knowing we can get the job done. You're faith in us is one of the things that makes you the great leader we know today. To our badass, Scottish Captain!"

We all cheered and drank. The music began to play again and the laughter continued. I watched Captain MacTavish lay his cards down on the table and shake his head at Ghost. He got up and walked out of the rec room. I bit my lip. I looked around and waited until nobody was paying attention. After a few shots and talking to Ashton for a bit, I got up and walked out. I looked around and didn't see him anywhere. The closest thing to the rec room was the gym. So I took a chance and checked the gym. Sure enough, Captain MacTavish was punching a punching bag. His black shirt clung to him as he threw each punch. He stopped and sat down on the wooden bench behind him. He sat forward and rested his arms on his knees. I opened my mouth to say something but I was interrupted.

"Aren't you supposed to be with the others?" he asked quietly.

"I could ask you the same thing. You're missing one helluva party." I replied. He looked over his shoulder and met my eyes.

"What do you want, Miller?" he asked. His voice was rough and cold like steel. My breath hitched at the sound of my last name. He obviously didn't want me to be there. I must of crossed some sort of line being here.

"I figured you could use some company." I sounded so much more confident than I felt. He looked away and scoffed.

"Don't you think that if I wanted company, I would have stayed?"

He was right. He was making it painfully clear that at that moment, I was unwelcome. I shifted my weight from foot to foot. Something I used to do when I got nervous around someone, usually guys. I haven't done it in years. Perhaps it was because after joining the Marines, no man has been able to make me nervous. Until now.

"Go back to the party." he said. He got up and walked back to the punching bag, clearly putting an end to the conversation. I wouldn't have it.

"No." I replied. He froze and turned his head to the side. Then he slowly turned around slightly and looked at me.

"What did you say?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes out of confusion and anger.

"No, _sir_. I'm not going back to the party. There's obviously something bothering you-"

"So you think that since you spilled your guts to me that I would immediately run to you when shit gets to me? I'm not going to open my closet and show you all my skeletons. I don't answer to you. I have to do this on my own. Everything is _my_ responsibility. _You_ follow orders. I'm the Captain-"

"Yes. Yes, you're the Captain. And you're a damn good one, MacTavish." I replied as my eyes filled with tears. "I went to you because you're the Captain. The man I'm supposed t trust with my life. But I went to you, believing you would understand. And you did. It feels great to have somebody to be able to relate to for once. I expect nothing from you in return." He looked away. I clenched my teeth. "Everything Archer said about you is true, but there is so much more that he didn't say. And it's because its soo hard to put the appreciation and respect this team feels for you into words. You do everything you can to get the mission done and get us back in one piece. Sometimes people don't make it, but that's war. You don't have to spill your guts or show me your skeletons. If your the Captain-, no, if your the _man_ I believe you are, then you don't have to, because I already know. Because you're the same Captain, the same man that sat in that office and told me that this team means everything to you. That you know exactly what I went through. I know this effected you, and I just want to return the favor. I want you to know the same thing you made perfectly clear to me. I want you to know that you're not alone on this and it's _not_ _your fault_. I want you to know that, sir." With that, I turned and left.

pov Ghost

I was completely wasted when Emma returned to the rec room. I wasn't sure why she left, but I could guess. She looked worked up and ready to punch someone in the face. I frowned. What did John do? She sat by Archer and did a shot. Ashton sat up and made her way to the door.

"Fable, where are yah goin'? Candy cried from our table. Ashton looked over and smiled.

"Headed to bed. I'm all partied out. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Someone should help you. How about you, Ghost?" I looked at Candy. She looked at me mischievously.

"Uh, sure. I guess." Ashton replied. I sighed and got up. We walked out began to head towards her room.

"You don't have to walk me. I'm fully capable of that myself." We stopped walking and I looked at her. Her green eyes were guarded and beautiful. Beautiful? What the bloody hell is wrong with me?

"I know." I replied. I couldn't help but stare at her. We were so close. "I was concerned before. I honestly still am. I hope you prove me wrong. I don't trust you Ashton. Prove me wrong and show me you're worth taking a hit for and that you won't betray the me or Captain MacTavish. I know it sounds harsh, but I'm looking out for the team."

pov Ashton

I just stared. He was obviously drunk, but I knew every word coming out of his mouth was true. He was confirming my fears, however he was giving me a chance to change his mind and prove myself a worthy soldier. I smiled.

"I understand. I'll prove you wrong, I promise." Ghost nodded and staggered a bit. He lifted his hand to my face then brushed a piece of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. Well, kinda kissed. He still had his balaclava on, but it still made me blush like hell. He walked away and for the fisrt time in years, I cared about what a guy thought about me. I wanted to show him that I wasn't what my father wanted me to be. I wanted to impress him. I realized I was actually beginning to really like this guy. It surprised me that this guy was Ghost.

* * *

**So who's your favorite characters in my story? I'm curious lol and who would you like to see Ashton and Emma end up with?**


End file.
